The Engagement Vortex
by gsxdoug
Summary: Sequel to The Motorcycle Misadventure Recuperation, Penny is planning a wedding, Leonard and Penny are planning their future, Sheldon is planning on finding a new roommate, Amy is planning on it being her. You know what they say about Best Laid Plans. Mostly Lenny with a bit of Shamy development.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N; I consider this more a continuation than a sequel, if that's any real distinction. It picks up pretty much right after The Motorcycle Misadventure Recuperation. It should be evident early on that I've decided to go with the second ending. Just a short chapter to get the ball rolling. My thanks to everyone who read MMR. I hope you find this one as enjoyable. I own nothing from TBBT.**

Leonard and Penny lay in bed together. She was cuddled up to him, with her head on his shoulder and her hand resting on his chest. Leonard had his arm around her shoulder, holding her close. The "We Just Got Engaged" sex had been incredible, Leonard thought to himself as he caught his breath. He looked down at Penny to see her looking back with a thoughtful expression on her face. "S'up?" Leonard said to his new fiancé.

"Hmm, just thinking about how and when we're going to tell our friends about the engagement," Penny said.

"Looking forward to all the gushing and crying when you tell the girls?"

"No! Well, yeah," Penny replied. "It was all I could do to keep from texting Amy on the drive home. But I'd rather tell them in person to see the looks on their faces."

"You could wait until Girl's Night, and tell Amy and Bernadette together," Leonard suggested. "The only problem is someone would notice the rings before that, and it would spoil your moment. Unless you want us to take them off until then?"

Penny lifted her hand from his chest to admire the heart-shaped diamond on her third finger. "No way am I taking this off, Hofstadter!"

* * *

In the end, Leonard and Penny decided to invite all their friends out for dinner at the Cheesecake Factory the next day. Getting a table reserved was no problem as Penny had gained some celebrity at her former place of employment. Penny spent Sunday afternoon skyping with her parents and family to let them in on the news. Leonard thought she looked a little pensive after ending the call to her sister.

"Everything okay?" he asked her.

"What? yeah it's fine," Penny replied. "When are you going to tell your family?" she asked him, to deflect further questions.

"I think I'll wait a couple days," Leonard said. Penny gave him an icy stare. "I _will_ tell them," he assured her, "But I was thinking maybe you should tell my mother. You two seem to have a good rapport." Although he was thinking uncomfortably about the last time Penny had skyped with Beverly.

* * *

The newly engaged couple made sure to arrive ahead of their guests. Leonard had placed his ring on a chain around his neck while Penny sat with her right hand carefully clasped over her left to conceal her ring. Once they were all seated and had placed their orders, a glass of wine was provided for each of them, except Sheldon, who preferred some sparkling grape juice. Given Sheldon's history of lowered inhibitions while under the influence, Leonard and Penny thought this was a good idea.

Leonard stood up with his glass in one hand and the fingers of his other rubbing his ring on its chain beneath his shirt, the very picture of Frodo and the One Ring. "Guys," he said, nervously clearing his throat, "Penny and I have something to tell you."

"Your pregnant!" Amy and Bernadette cried in unison, looking at Penny with shock.

"Your breaking up again!" said Sheldon at the same time.

"Ever the optimist," Leonard thought sarcastically, staring at his former roommate. Out loud he said, "Please, wait to hear what we have to say before jumping to conclusions. he turned to his fiancé. "Penny?"

Penny smiled broadly and held up her left hand, fingers spread and palm facing her. At the site of the engagement ring the girls, and Raj, let out a joyful squeal, almost drowning out Penny's announcement, "We're getting married!"

"Yes," Amy said excitedly. "I get to be maid of honor twice in one lifetime!"

"Um..." Penny stammered.

"I've got some great ideas to make your wedding unforgettable!" Raj gushed

"Um..." Penny said again.


	2. Chapter 2

Penny was just finishing up a phone conversation with her sister when she heard Leonard using his key to unlock their apartment door. She said her good-byes as quickly as she could, but not before Leonard came in. "Okay Sis, I love you. Tell Mom I love her. Bye."

Leonard placed his messenger bag down on the coffee table, along with the take-out he had picked up on the way home. "I've overheard a few conversations with your sister," he said, "but I don't think you've ever ended one that way before. It's usually giggling or insults. Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine," Penny replied quickly, "Just girl talk about the engagement and stuff."

"Okay, Dokay," Leonard drawled. "I'm sure if there is something you feel I should know, you'll tell me when you're ready. I've learned better than to push too much now."

"Okay, well," Penny hunted for a way to change the subject, her eyes settling on the take-out boxes Leonard was unpacking. "Let's eat so I can shower and change before the girls get here."

* * *

Penny emerged from the bedroom wearing a low cut black dress featuring gravity-defying cleavage. Leonard admired the future Mrs. Hofstadter from his seat on the couch where he had been absent mindedly flipping through TV channels. He gave a low whistle. "Should I be worried?" he jokingly asked.

"This," said Penny, waggling her left hand at him to indicate her engagement ring, "Would imply no."

"And the ring isn't going to cramp your style?" Leonard asked as he got up. "You might have to pay for your own drinks!"

"In this dress? You've got to be kidding! Besides, Bernie has worn a wedding ring for a while now, and guys never stopped buying," Penny answered. "I thought you'd be over at Sheldon's already. Afraid I wouldn't stop over to say good-bye?"

"Maybe I just prefer not having onlookers making crude jokes when we do this," Leonard said as he grabbed Penny by the waist and gave her a deep kiss which she accepted eagerly.

"Nope, you definitely have nothing to worry about," Penny said as they pulled apart, recalling his earlier comment. "Except for the crude jokes, if you don't wipe that lipstick off!" she added with a smirk.

* * *

Leonard and Penny made their way across the hall just in time to meet Amy and Bernadette as they came out of 4A to get Penny. The girls greeted each other, Amy strangely only acknowledging her "bestie" with a perfunctory "Hello, Penny," before heading down the stairs. Penny exchanged a glance with Bernadette as they followed her down.

When Leonard entered Sheldon's apartment, Raj and Howard were cueing up Halo on the X-Box while Sheldon donned his gaming gloves. Leonard crossed to the kitchen to help himself to a bottle of water before taking a seat in the big chair he still thought of as his when he was over for gaming or other gatherings.

"So, have you put out an ad for a new roommate yet?" Leonard asked Sheldon as the two of them picked up their controllers. "Cuz I know a couple grad students who may be interested."

"Grad students? Really, Leonard? Look how long it took me to mold you into a suitable conduit for my will. The time required to repeat that task with a grad student could be multiplied tenfold," Sheldon said with derision.

"Never mind, I could go to prison for cruel and unusual punishment if I sent one of them to live with you," Leonard said. "What about Amy? She certainly seemed eager to move in here before."

"I haven't asked her, and I fervently hope she doesn't bring it up."

"Still can't refute her logical arguments about its merits, eh?" Leonard chuckled. A facial twitch and a quiet "No" was Sheldon's only response.

"Hey dude," Raj now jumped in, sensing the roommate conversation was at an end. "What's up with Penny? I've texted her like, a ton of ideas I have for your wedding, and she hasn't answered any of them."

"Oh for...Come on, Raj, we've been engaged for less than a week! We haven't even talked about setting a date yet. I'm sure Penny has lots of other things on her mind, so how about giving this a rest for a while," Leonard replied testily.

"While we are on the subject of your fiancé," Sheldon said, "there is something I wish to bring up, for Amy's sake. She has been noticeably upset these past few days. She keeps going on about not being maid of honor or something equally silly. It is having a detrimental effect on our usually stimulating discussions. Could you please speak with Penny? I simply can not deal with Amy in her present state."

"Are you sure it's not because you haven't asked her to be your new roomie?" Howard interjected. "I hadn't considered it, but no. I'm certain Penny is to blame."

"Uh-uh," Leonard replied, putting his controller down and rubbing his temples. "I'm not going there. It's up to Penny who she wants to be her maid of honor. If you want to take it up with her, be my guest." At this, Sheldon's facial tic returned.


	3. Chapter 3

**Still own nothing.**

"What do you thinks wrong with Amy?" Penny asked Bernadette, "She seems a little down tonight." She and Bernadette were sitting at a table in Penny's favorite bar. Amy had just headed to the restroom.

"I could say the same for you," the petite blonde replied. "You just got engaged to a wonderful man. You should be ecstatic, but you've hardly said anything and barely touched your drink."

"Oh, I'm unbelievably happy about the engagement, I've just got something on my mind."

"I thought so," Bernadette said. "You going to spill?"

"It's a family thing. Sorry, it's not something I feel like sharing right now," Penny replied. "Can we get back to Amy?"

"Alright, if you feel that way," Bernadette looked around to make sure Amy wasn't on her way back yet before continuing, "On the drive over to your place Amy mentioned something about Sheldon not asking her to be his new roommate."

"I wonder if there's something I could do to help move the Shamy along." Penny said.

"She also seemed pretty upset that you don't want her as your maid of honor." Bernadette added.

"I totally want her to be," Penny replied, "The thing is, I have this friend back in Nebraska, and we kinda made a pact that we'd be each others maid of honor when the time came."

"And how long ago was that?" Bernie asked.

"Well," Penny said. "We were like eight or nine. And she's eloped. Twice."

"Then I don't see it being an issue," Bernadette smiled at her, shaking her head.

"Yeah, guess your right. Wait 'til I tell Amy, she'll freak," Penny said, "And just for the record, I wish you both could be maid of honor."

"Thanks," Bernadette replied. "And that family thing? You really should talk to someone. It couldn't hurt and it might help."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Penny said.

* * *

When Penny got home, she found Leonard dozing on the couch in a rather awkward position. She smiled at how cute he looked and at the fact he'd tried to wait up for her. Things had gotten a little crazy when she'd told Amy her decision. Well, Amy-crazy at any rate. For a while it had taken her mind off other worries. Now her smile faded and with a sigh Penny kicked off her shoes and went over to the couch to sit beside her future husband. She leaned over to kiss him and whispered his name in his ear.

"Hi," Leonard whispered when he opened his eyes to see her next to him. "I must have died in my sleep and went to Heaven. Are you an angel?". Her tight lips and lack of a flippant response brought him fully awake. Leonard sat up and took Penny's hands in his. "What's up, Honey?" he asked gently. Penny placed his arm around her shoulder and laid her head on his shoulder.

"I have something I need to talk to you about," she said quietly. Leonard gave her a reassuring squeeze and she continued, "My mom's been sick quite a bit lately, Sis says it's been going on for a while and nobody can really figure out what's wrong."

Leonard considered this. "Your parents haven't said anything about it to you?"

"They wouldn't," Penny sighed, "Dad pretends to be the strong silent type and you know what mothers are like."

"Well, I know what _my_ mother is like."

"Oh, right. Sorry. Anyway, Leonard, I'm really scared!" Penny said, more than a hint of anguish creeping into her words.

Leonard gave her a sympathetic look. "What do you need?" he asked.

"I think I need to go home." she said, close to tears.

"So than, we're going to Nebraska."

"Really?" Penny asked, with a catch in her voice. "You'll go with me?"

"Of course," Leonard answered without hesitation.

Penny threw her arms around him in a tight hug, burying her face in his shoulder with a she finally let go and caught her breath, Penny asked, "Are you sure you can? What about work?"

"Won't be an issue," Leonard answered. "They have contingencies for family illness." he stated matter-of-factually.

"Family?" Penny asked with an odd look in her eye. Leonard simply nodded.

"Family." Penny stated firmly, a small smile coming to her face for the first time since she had awakened Leonard.


	4. Chapter 4

Leonard and Penny had left for Nebraska rather abruptly and without written notice, leaving Sheldon without a ride. In his desperation he had turned to Amy.

"While I am more than happy to give you a ride home from work, I'm curious as to why Leonard was unavailable. Did he not provide transportation this morning?" Amy asked Sheldon as they drove from Cal-tech to Los Robles Avenue Monday afternoon.

"They are gone," Sheldon responded mournfully.

"Excuse me," Amy said, "What do you mean they? Gone where?" "They refers to more than one individual. In present terms, it refers specifically to Leonard and Penny. As they will, in the not too distant future, be permanently bonded in matrimony, in a conversation in which one of them is mentioned, _they_ should be generally assumed to indicate both of them," Sheldon lectured.

Amy rolled her eyes. "Fine, I understand that, But where have _they_ gone?" Amy's eyes grew wide as she turned her head to stare at Sheldon. "Oh my gosh! They didn't elope, did they? That's what you meant when you said in the not too distant future, isn't it? They can't do that, not after she promised I'd be maid of honor. It's not fair!"

"The road, Amy! Eyes on the road!" Sheldon shouted in panic, causing Amy to turn her attention quickly back to driving. Once Sheldon got his heart rate under control, he addressed Amy's questions. "No, they did not elope. Leonard and Penny have gone to Nebraska to visit her home. It is my understanding that Penny was concerned about her mother's health. Leonard only took me in this morning so he could make arrangements for _another_ leave of absence."

"Oh, I see," Amy said, her voice now calmer. "That explains why she wasn't her usual perky self the other night. shall get in touch with her to offer my moral support as soon as possible."

They had finally arrived at Sheldon's apartment building. As Sheldon unbuckled his seatbelt, he looked over at Amy."Would you care to come up for a cup of tea?" he asked.

"Certainly," Amy replied.

* * *

Leonard and Penny had taken a connecting flight from LAX via Denver, arriving at Eppley Airfield in Omaha, Nebraska late Monday afternoon. Upon making their way from the baggage claim, they were hailed by a waving blonde woman whom Leonard knew had to be Penny's sister. Leonard observed the person approaching them. She was an older, slightly heavier version of Penny, her face care-worn but pretty. Her eyes were the same color as Penny's and had a familiar sparkle. The two sisters squealed in unison and joined together in a heartfelt embrace. They held each other tightly for a few moments and then Penny made the introduction.

"Leonard, honey, this is my sister Jennifer. Jennifer, my fiancé," this quite proudly, "Dr. Leonard Hofstadter." "Just call me Jenny!" Jennifer said warmly, "But no rhyming name jokes, okay?"

"Pleased to meet you in person," Leonard proffered his hand, only to find himself pulled into a spine-crushing hug, Jenny's Nebraskan farm girl strength very evident.

"My pick-up's in the parking lot, that way," Jenny said, pointing towards an exit. Leonard took their trolley of luggage and headed off, the two women trailing behind to engage in small talk. "You were right," Jenny whispered to her sister from behind her hand. "He does have a cute tushie!" Leonard, oblivious to the conversation, wondered about the sudden outburst of giggles behind him.

Once out in the parking lot, Jenny lead them to a dark brown Chevy pick-up. after loading the luggage into the box, the three of them piled into the cab. As they drove off, Penny, who was seated in the middle, glanced over at the dashboard. "Your Check Engine light is on," she remarked to her sister.

"Yeah," Jenny replied, "Been that way for months. I've learned to ignore it."

"You really should get it looked at," Penny said knowingly.

* * *

It was getting dark by the time they reached Penny's parent's home just outside Omaha. The house she grew up in was a homey looking two story with large windows and a railed porch that ran the length of the house. Penny's father, Wyatt could be seen leaning on the porch rail in the light from an incandescent bulb over the front door. Jenny pulled up in front of the house and as she and Leonard wrangled the couples luggage out of the truck box, Penny ran onto the porch to embrace her father.

"Daddy!" Penny exclaimed as he held her close.

"Hey, Slugger, glad you're home," Wyatt said. Releasing Penny, he turned to Leonard, who was coming up the stairs with a couple of suitcases. "Good to see you, son," he said proffering his hand, which Leonard shook after setting the suitcases down. "I'm so happy you two were able to work things out."

"Me too," Leonard replied as Penny wrapped her arm around his waist. "Jen, honey, you staying for a bit?" Wyatt asked his eldest daughter.

"No Dad, gotta run. But I'll be 'round tomorrow after work. Sis and I have a lot of gossip to catch up on," Jenny answered.

"Alright, then," Wyatt said, taking the luggage Jenny was carrying. "We'll see you tomorrow, Love you!" They all said good bye to Jenny as she jumped in her pick-up and headed home.

"Okay," Wyatt said to Leonard and Penny as he led them into the house, "We'll get you two settled and then see what we can do 'bout supper."

After entering the house, Leonard had a chance to observe Wyatt under better lighting. Even though they hadn't spent a lot of time together when Wyatt had visited Penny in Pasadena during the break-up, Leonard thought that Wyatt looked somehow older, and maybe a little tired. He was considering whether or not he should comment on Wyatt's wife's illness, when Penny spoke up, ending his dilemma.

"How's Mom?" Penny asked apprehensively.

"Well," replied Wyatt, "She's been a feeling a bit better the last day or so. I think knowing you were coming to visit boosted her spirits a little. She's just having a bit of a lay down now, but she said to send you up when you got here." Penny bit her lip and nodded, then headed for the nearby staircase. Leonard hesitated for a moment, looking to Wyatt. Penny's father gave him a quick nod, so he trailed up the stairs after Penny.

**A/N; I was going to include some more Shamy interaction at the end of this chapter, but got carried away with the Nebraska arrival, hence the ambiguous end to the first scene. More of that next chapter. We'll also meet Penny's mum.**


	5. Chapter 5

Just about the same time Leonard and Penny were arriving at her parents' home, less the two hour time difference, Sheldon and Amy were having tea and deciding what to do for dinner.

"So," Amy asked Sheldon as she was going through his cupboard to see if there was anything she could whip together into a meal, "How is your hunt for a new roommate progressing?"

"Not well, I admit," Sheldon replied. "The applicants are few and far between."

"That does not surprise me," Amy said. Finding some spaghetti and a can of sauce, she got a pot of water and started it heating on the stove. "I've taken the liberty of reading your advertisement. It seems you are searching for a cross between Leonard and a robot servant. All the loyalty and selflessness, but without annoying traits of his like, I don't know, free will?" Amy checked the refrigerator and triumphantly pulled out a partial package of wieners.

"Exactly!" Sheldon agreed, her sarcastic tone lost on him. "You get it, why does that seem so hard for others too grasp?"

Amy rolled her eyes. She was doing a lot of that lately. "What about the applicants you have gotten thus far?" she asked as she dumped the pasta into the now boiling water. She got out another pot in order to heat the wieners.

"I found them to be oddly different than what I expected, considering the criteria I had laid out. The one went on about partying with, and I quote "chicks and beer," while the second seemed more interested in a particular football team's prospects rather than something important, like the latest physics discoveries, or the upcoming Star Wars sequels."

"Hmm, that is interesting," Amy said as she watched over the cooking. Although leery from previous responses to her suggesting she move in, Amy decided it might be a good time to bring it up again. "You know, Sheldon, if I were to take Leonard's place here, you wouldn't have to worry about getting rides to and from work, not to mention other places you wish to go. Plus," she added as she dumped the cooked spaghetti into a strainer, "I am quite proficient at making _non-crunchy_ spaghetti with cut-up hotdogs."

Sheldon actually took a moment to think this over, surprising Amy. "I'll tell you what," he said. "If by the end of the month, the prospects have not improved, I will allow you to submit an application for due consideration."

"Oh goody," Amy said under her breath.

* * *

Penny knocked lightly on the door frame of her parent's bedroom, peering in nervously. "Mom?"

"Penny, sweetie, come on in," her mother responded. Penny thought her voice sounded somewhat weaker than she remembered. She walked hesitantly to the bed where her mother was propped up on some pillows, apparently reading a romance novel. Leonard hung back in the hallway, checking out some family photos on the wall while listening with half an ear in case Penny called for him. Penny sat on the edge of the bed as her mother placed her book down beside her and removed her reading glasses.

"Hi, Mom. H-how are you feeling?" Penny asked tentatively.

"More tired than anything, today, sweetie," her mother replied. She reached to her night stand for some tissue to blow her nose. "The headaches have gone away for the time being." She looked towards the doorway. "Is that your young man out there? Leonard, sweetie, get in here so I can meet you properly."

Leonard came shyly into the bedroom and stood beside the bed, taking Penny's hand. He had a good look at Penny's mom. She was actually quite stunning; in no way fat as Sheldon had once implied, more like hardy, and, before the effects of her current illness, probably quite vigorous. Her hair was a darker blonde than that of her two daughters and streaked here and there with grey. "Hello, its very nice to meet you Mrs.-"

"None of that now, sweetie," Penny's mother interrupted, "We don't stand on formality 'round here. Call me June, or Mom if you feel comfortable with that."

"Okay, um, June," Leonard said, "I can see where Penny gets her beauty and charm from."

At this, June let out a laugh which unfortunately turned into a small fit of coughing. Penny rubbed her mother's back and looked up pleadingly at Leonard. After the coughing subsided, Leonard handed June the glass of water that was sitting on the nightstand. "Perhaps you should get some rest. I know we're both worn out from the flight and the time change. There should be ample time to get better acquainted in the morning," he said solicitously.

"Alright, I'm looking forward to getting to know my future son-in-law," June answered after sipping some water. "Good night!"

"Good night," Leonard and Penny said in unison. Penny hugged her mom and gave her a kiss on the cheek before getting up to leave, holding onto Leonard's hand tightly once more.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: While researching this part of the story, I was given to understand there is some controversy on the subject of Toxic Mold Syndrome. I am not a medical professional and as such I make no claims as to the veracity of the science behind this, nor do I advocate for or against its reality. I use it here as a convenient plot device, nothing more.**

Leonard awoke early the next morning, feeling refreshed thanks to the clean country air. He carefully extricated himself from Penny's arms so as not to wake her, eliciting a small groan from her at the loss of his body heat. As he changed into pants and a T-shirt, Leonard took a moment to get a better view of Penny's bedroom than he had the night before in the lamplight. The overall theme was very frilly and pink, with photos of a horse he assumed was Penny's, mixed with posters of various teen heartthrobs on the walls. The top of her dresser was home to a number of equestrian trophies and ribbons, as well as a few from Junior Rodeo. It was very much a teenage girl's room and though he was probably being silly, it made him feel a little creepy for sleeping there with Penny. Because of that, Leonard was kind of thankful that they had both been too tired to do anything but fall asleep in each others arms. Leonard shook his head at his own prudishness and padded out and down the stairs in search of coffee. Eventually making his way to the kitchen, Leonard found Wyatt there preparing a tray to take up to his wife.

"Morning, son," Wyatt greeted him amiably. "I hope you slept well. Coffee's fresh, help yourself."

"Thank you," Leonard replied, searching out a mug and spoon and pouring himself a cup from the steaming pot.

"I'm guessing Slugger is still in bed?" Wyatt said with a grin. "That girl sure loves to sleep in whenever she can!"

"Uh huh," Leonard agreed. He was finding Penny's family to be very warm and accepting. He just wished this visit had been during a less stressful time. "Sir, I know I'm not that type of doctor, but I've been doing some thinking about June's illness," he ventured as Wyatt got a carton of orange juice out of the fridge and poured a glass full to add to the tray.

"Go ahead Leonard, I'm open to anything that might help."

"Well," Leonard continued, "With all due respect to your family doctor, and I'm sure he's very good at his job, I was thinking that maybe he is overlooking something. Sometimes a scientist can be so focused on a particular line of research, he could be blinded to alternatives and just continue on with a dead-end objective."

"Okay, I'm following you so far," Wyatt replied as he put two slices of bread into the toaster. "what are you aiming at?"

"I'm wondering if its not maybe something environmental affecting your wife," Leonard finished his line of thought.

Wyatt tapped his fingers as he waited for the toast. "I know you're the genius here, son, but wouldn't something like that affect me as well? he asked.

"Not necessarily, sir," Leonard answered. "Some people can be more susceptible to environmental influences than others. And perhaps there are areas of the house or farm that June spends more time in than you normally would."

"Hmm," Wyatt thought for a moment as he buttered the toast and placed it on the tray next to the coffee and orange juice. "There is the boarding stable, that's more her thing, maybe some others. Why don't you get Penny to show you around when she drags her butt out of bed, see what you can see?" With that he gave Leonard a nod and headed toward the stairs with his wife's breakfast.

* * *

"What are we looking for?" Penny asked Leonard as they walked between the farmhouse and the stable. Penny was wearing one of Leonard's t-shirts and tight jeans. He was amazed at how beautiful and confident she appeared on her home turf as she strode purposefully across the yard. Leonard, on the other hand, stepped gingerly along, warily avoiding questionable dirt piles and any plants that looked likely to cause his asthma to flare up.

"We-l-l, Leonard stuttered, "Basically discolored areas on the walls where they have gotten damp at some point, allowing toxic mold to flourish.

"And how are you such a mold expert all of a sudden?" Penny inquired

"I'm really not!" Leonard protested, "I'm just going on memory and a hunch. You see, back before you moved in, we had an issue with mold in the apartment building's laundry room, and when he heard about it, Sheldon got all...Sheldon-y about it. You know what I mean!"

"Ugh, I do!"

"Well, of course he went on and on in some detail about signs and symptoms, how to recognize an infestation, that sort of thing. And usually while I was trying to eat. Turned out some tenant's little nephew just spilled some juice, so all the paranoia was for nothing."

"Then why aren't we checking the laundry room?" Penny asked.

"I had plenty of time to do that this morning while you were still in bed. It's clean, sleepy head," he replied. Penny stuck her tongue out at him.

The pair entered the stable and Penny gave Leonard a quick tour. On the left hand side of the center aisle were a tack room, feed room and four stalls. On the right, nearest them were a small office, an open bay, and four more stalls.

"So, we have some people from town boarding their horses here," Penny said. "Don't worry, on a nice day like this they're outside getting exercise," she added with a smirk. "Mom gives riding lessons and does some horse training, so she has a small office here and between that and the right hand stalls is a wash bay."

"The wash bay is right next to the office?" Leonard asked.

"Uh huh. Oh!" Penny said, in sudden understanding. "Guess we should have a look inside the office."

Working easily together, Penny and Leonard moved June's desk away from the wall adjoining the wash bay. Sure enough, there were black stains along the base of the wall. Leonard produced his phone and snapped a few pictures.

"Is it?" Penny asked.

"As I said, I'm really not an expert, but there is someone we know who may be able to help," Leonard replied as he typed a longish message into his phone and tapped Send. Penny gave him a puzzled frown. "A certain microbiologist of our acquaintance?" he hinted.

Realization dawned on Penny. "Bernadette! Of course!"

**A/N; Sorry Shamies, the next chapter will probably be all Lenny as well, but we'll see.  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**Another shorter chapter. Sorry if the last part seems a bit rushed. I wanted to get this out, and I've been kind of distracted. People who are spoiled for episode 7.23 will understand why. Adding this just to be clear; There are no spoilers in this chapter, sorry for any confusion.  
**

Leonard and Penny were walking hand in hand as she showed him around the farm. She had put on a straw cowboy hat and a light blue blouse over her T-shirt, unbuttoned and tied at her midriff. In Leonard's opinion, dressed like that she was the epitome of cuteness.

Wyatt paused in his work to watch them as they made their way to the paddock where a few of the horses were munching hay. It did his heart good to see his little Slugger so much in love, and with a man who obviously loved her equally.

"I was thinking about June," Leonard said, seemingly out of the blue as they stopped to look at the horses.

"Of course you were, sweetie. That's why we were out in the stable in the first place." Penny was mildly concerned that maybe her genius fiancé was experiencing a sudden brain misfire.

"No, no. I mean the month. How do you feel about a spring wedding?"

"You want to set a date?" Penny asked, her eyes wide.

"Well sure," Leonard replied. "An eventual wedding is the premise of being engaged, after all."

Penny bit her lip. "Yeah, right. Sure, June sounds good. Gives us enough time to plan it, and for whoever we invite to make it there." She stopped and looked away, suddenly apprehensive.

"What's wrong?" Leonard asked.

"What if Mom doesn't get better-what if..." Penny choked up.

"She'll get better! If this is what we think it is, it's very treatable."

"You said if," Penny sobbed.

"Now, now. I'm sure it'll all work out," Leonard said, rubbing her arm reassuringly.

"If you say so," Penny sniffed. "But if it did come down to it, would you be okay if we did it sooner, so Mom can be there?"

"Get married you mean?" Leonard turned Penny to face him, taking both her hands in his. "Sweetheart, I've been ready for this for a long time. I'd marry you tomorrow if you wanted, but it's not going to come to that, okay?"

Penny let go of one of his hands and wiped her eyes. "Okay, I trust you, more than anything."

* * *

Dinner that evening was a pleasant affair. June had managed to come down and eat with the family. Not feeling up to making extensive conversation, she contented herself with asking Leonard a few questions about himself and his work, as well as listening in mild amusement as Jenny related stories of the girls' teen years in a futile attempt to embarrass her little sister in front of her fiancé. As for Leonard, he was just enjoying the familial atmosphere. It was something he was not able to experience growing up in the cold, academically inclined Hofstadter household and he relished every moment.

Later that evening, as Leonard was drying off from a before-bed shower, he couldn't help but overhear part of a phone conversation Penny was engaged in, in the bedroom.

"I know you already have a place, but you won't get in this one anyway," she was saying impatiently. "Never mind why, you owe me a favor, just do it!" Penny rolled her eyes and gave Leonard an exasperated look as he emerged from the bathroom rubbing his hair with a towel. "Right, thanks. Good bye. Sometimes I can't believe how dumb some of my old friends are," she commented to Leonard as she threw her phone on the nightstand.

Leonard gave her a puzzled look. "Mind telling me what that was about?"

"What? A girl needs her secrets!" Penny replied defensively. "Okay, fine," she continued when it was clear Leonard wasn't going to drop it. "Sheldon needs a roommate so I'm just trying to help out my friend," she said, looking away. "Nothing wrong with that," she added, half to herself.

"Yeah, but which friend are you trying to help?" Leonard asked.

"Um, well," she began, biting her lower lip, "I've been getting some of the people I used to hang with to apply as Sheldon's roommate. You know, jocks, frat boy types. Maybe if he gets frustrated enough he'll ask Amy to move in."

Leonard shook his head and smiled. "Sneaky," he said with a laugh. "I don't know if I approve of your method, but here's hoping it yields positive results."

"Spoken like a true science nerd!" Penny replied, somewhat relieved that she had let Leonard in on her scheme.

"I am that," Leonard said, still smiling.

"Yeah, but you're my science nerd," Penny giggled as she pulled him down to her for a kiss.


	8. Chapter 8

The next morning Leonard and Penny were having a late breakfast in the kitchen with her dad, who, it turned out was actually a pretty good cook, and making plans for the day. Although Penny was uncomfortable spending the day in the city with her mother sick, Wyatt insisted it would be okay.

"It's not going to do any one any good you moping around here all day about your mother. Take Leonard around to visit some of your friends, I'm sure they're dying to meet him, then show him what sights there are to see hereabouts," were his exact words.

It was as they were sipping coffee and Penny was describing to him the various attractions of the area (as well as how much better the shoe shopping was in Pasadena) when Leonard's phone buzzed. Pulling it out of his pocket, he glanced at the call display. "It's Bernadette," he said. "I'd better get this," he added as he got up and moved off towards the living room.

* * *

"Hello, Bernadette. You're up early this morning."

"Hi Leonard. I wanted to get back to you as quickly as I could. I think you might be right about the mold, judging by Penny's mom's symptoms and the pictures you sent."

"Okay, that's good right? At least we have something to go on."

"Yes, but we still need more confirmation. I'm sending you some information that should be useful, as well as the name of a good lab in Omaha that you can take some samples to for testing. There are also some treatments that can be started right away that will help if her illness is from the mold spores. Don't worry, the treatments are perfectly harmless otherwise, and some are actually beneficial to ones overall health, besides. If you could get Penny or some one to give me the number of their family doctor, I can speak to him and get the ball rolling on that end."

"Really? That would be great if you could. I'll get Penny to send you the doctor's number as soon as we're done talking."

"Okay, good."

"Oh, and Bernadette?"

"Yes?"

"I, that is, we can't thank you enough. If there's ever anything..."

"Don't mention it, Leonard. If it weren't for the two of you, Howie and I wouldn't be together. You and Penny mean more to us than you know."

"Okay, thanks Bernie. Bye."

"Bye."

* * *

Leonard turned to go back to the kitchen, only to find Penny standing in the doorway with an anxious look on her face. Taking her by the hand, he led her back into the kitchen so Wyatt could hear what Bernadette had told him as well.

"...So," Leonard said to Penny as he finished relaying Bernadette's information, "If you want to fire up my laptop and check for Bernadette's email, I'll go and take some scrapings from the stable to bring into town with us."

"I'll go out with you, Leonard," Wyatt said.

* * *

Wyatt watched as Leonard, his nose and mouth covered with a bandanna, scraped at some of the discolored patches on June's office wall in order to obtain sufficient sample to take to the lab in Omaha.

"Leonard, my boy," Wyatt said as he helped Leonard up from his crouched position, "I gather from what Penny's told me, your childhood could be called somewhat less than ideal. I just want you to know that if ever you need anything, we're here for you."

"Thank you sir," Leonard replied as he pulled down the bandanna, "I really appreciate that."

* * *

That Sunday Leonard emerged from the bathroom after bagging the toiletries he wouldn't be needing in the morning, to find Penny sitting on the bed with an open suitcase and a pile of clothes still waiting to be packed beside her. She was staring at a framed photo she held in her hands with a wistful expression.

"Hey you," he asked gently. "Shouldn't you be done packing all that stuff? We've got to get going early tomorrow to catch that flight."

"Hmm," Penny said distractedly. "Just thinking."

"You've been doing a lot more of that, lately," he said as he sat down beside her to see what picture had her so fascinated. "I just mean you've had a lot to occupy your mind," he added hastily, seeing the sidelong look Penny gave him. Leonard leaned over to see that Penny had been gazing at a picture of her, June and Jenny taken, he guessed by how she looked, shortly before Penny came out to California. "She's going to be okay, you know, now that the doctor is aware of the underlying causes of June's illness, he's been able to prescribe a regimen that-"

"Oh, shush! If I wanted a lecture, I'd talk to Sheldon!"

"Sorry," Leonard replied sheepishly.

"Sorry I snapped at you," Penny replied regretfully. Biting her lip, she sighed. "I'd forgotten how nice it is here, so peaceful. Maybe sometime, after we both retire, it might be an idea to move here, you know; get a small place with a yard that the grandkids can play in, maybe a horse. What?" she exclaimed, noticing that Leonard was grinning widely.

Leonard shook his head. "Its just amazing hearing you talking about us so far into the future. The hot, commitment-phobic blonde girl next door has changed into a thoughtful, forward thinking women."

"Still hot though?"

"Very! Now lets get you packed and get some sleep; we've got a long day tomorrow, and you've got another commercial to tape the day after."

"Okay," Penny replied and leaned in for a kiss. "I love you!"

"I love you, too."

**A/N; Sorry it took a little longer to get this chapter out. You know how it is; sometimes other things get in the way. Also, I hope the resolution here wasn't too abrubt. I just feel I'd drawn it out as much as I could and I'd like to move on to other, lighter aspects of Leonard and Penny's engagement. As always, thanks for reading.**


	9. Chapter 9

It was the first Thursday night after Leonard and Penny returned from Nebraska. The gang, minus Raj, was together in Sheldon's apartment eating Chinese take-out. Leonard had, as usual, claimed the big cushioned chair while Penny perched on it's arm, making small talk and occasionally pilfering some tidbit from Leonard's plate that she hadn't thought to request for herself.

"May I say, Bestie," Amy intoned from where she sat beside Sheldon in his spot, "That you are acting more like your usual vivacious self than you were before you two left for your sojourn in Omaha? Can I assume your visit helped alleviate some of your concerns about your mother's condition?"

"Yeah, I'm a lot better about it now, with a big thanks to Bernadette," Penny replied. She shifted her focus to the petite blonde sitting to Amy's right. "I know Leonard's already thanked you, but I need to even more. Thank you for everything, Bernie."

"It's fine," Bernadette said. "Besides, you may have inadvertently helped me with work."

"Really? How?" Penny asked with a puzzled look.

"I was thinking maybe there was money to be made from developing a more aggressive version of those mold spores," the other blonde replied, "Either that or weaponizing it, but I can't figure how that would work," she added thoughtfully.

"O-kay, then!" Penny said nervously as the rest of the group looked at Bernadette uncomfortably. "Moving on. Where's Raj? We were kind of hoping everyone would be here."

Howard, who was sitting on the floor with his back against the couch to be near Bernadette said, "He's watching some low budget horror flick with this girl he met through an online dating site."

"Raj is on a date? Good for him!" Penny said. "They better not be watching Serial Ape-ist 2," she added, frowning slightly. "But whatever happened to that vet he was so up on?" The only answer she got was non-committal shrugs all around.

Sheldon, who felt that the conversation had gotten way off track, decided to speak up in an attempt to bring Penny back on point. "You said you wanted all the members of our little social group to be together, tonight. I am assuming that there was some reason for this, some pending announcement, perhaps. The engagement is still on, I trust? One can only deal with so many changes in such a short span."

"Yes, Sheldon," Leonard said, shaking his head. "Its still on! But yes, we do have an announcement pertaining to it. I'm sure Raj won't be to upset that he wasn't here to know about it right away. Go ahead, Penny."

"Thanks, honey," Penny said reaching down to take Leonard's hand. "We've decided on a date, " she said happily. "Make sure your calendars are clear on the first Saturday of June."

"Wow, that's less than a year away," Bernadette said.

"Yeah, it's taken us long enough to get there, we didn't want to wait too much longer," Leonard said.

"But this still leaves enough time to plan it out nicely, and set it up so my brother can make it," Penny finished.

"Your brother, eh?" Howard said, smirking. "Leonard said your sister's name is Jenny, so we have Jenny, Penny and what? Benny, Kenny, Denny? I could have lots of fun with this!"

"It's Josh," Penny said, crossing her arms. "Oh, and FYI; Sis doesn't care for people making fun of our names rhyming, and remember she's got a quick trigger finger."

"Oh," Howard looked crestfallen. "Um, maybe I'll keep it to myself."

"Good," Penny said. There was an awkward pause while Penny stared Howard down. She turned to look at Sheldon. "So, sweetie, how's the roommate hunt going," she asked, giving Amy a conspiratorial wink.

"Funny you should ask," Sheldon replied. "The few applicants that I've interviewed were of the vacuous sort that you may have been comfortable hanging out with, not so very long ago. Certainly no one as conversationally stimulating-"

"Not to mention servile," Amy whispered to Bernadette beside her.

"-As I desire, who also has an interest in the finer things, like comic books and trains, has come forward," Sheldon finished, seemingly unaware of Amy's comment.

"You know, I have a couple friends I could send your way," Penny said innocently.

"I'd almost believe you already have," Sheldon replied. An expression of sudden realization came to his face as the truth finally dawned on him. "It was you all along, wasn't it?" he said accusingly. "You've been manipulating me!"

He turned to Amy. "And you were in on this conspiracy, no doubt!"

"No, Sheldon, I-"

"Well, missy, I will be less lenient when scrutinizing your pending application for roommate status now then I was originally inclined!" With that, Sheldon placed his unfinished meal on the coffee table and stormed off to his room.

There was a long silence in the room, broken at last by Penny. "Balls!"


End file.
